Milford Youth Commission addresses audit

Youth commissioners last night responded line item by line item to recommendations made by an independent accountant on Youth Center finances, presenting increases in rental fees, a new plan for handling vending machine revenue and improved financial policies.

Youth commissioners last night responded line item by line item to recommendations made by an independent accountant on Youth Center finances, presenting increases in rental fees, a new plan for handling vending machine revenue and improved financial policies.

“I want to thank (the comisui sion) for doing the hard work,” Selectman William Buckley said. “... We wouldn’t have been able to take a step forward without these being addressed.”

Buckley orgnized a series of meetings to review the accountant’s report of the Youth Center’s finances. Finance staff and Finance Committee members also participated.

“One of the key things we can’t lose sight of is it shows how (town officials) truly believe that building needs to be here,” Commissioner Michael Walsh said. “Everybody is on board. We want to do the right thing.”

The Finance Committee hired an independent certified public accountant to review the center after the commission had a $48,000 deficit in its revolving account at the end of fiscal 2011.

Town Meeting approved spending $60,000 last fall to eliminate the deficit.

Commissioners presented a budget last night that shows an estimated $13,000 surplus at the end of this fiscal year.

The commission will increase rental fees from a flat $35 per hour rate to $125 per hour for the entire gymnasium and $45 for a section of the gym or a conference room.

Nonprofit organizations, which were not charged before, will be charged $25 although the commission can waive that fee, Commissioner Amy Tamagni said.

“We’re not renting out a state-of-the-art facility” but commissioners are going to try increasing the rental rate, Tamagni said.

The accountant suggested considering charging dues. Commissioners evaluated that, but feel most kids using the center could not afford to pay dues, Tamagni said.

Walsh said the commission plans to join with the school district’s vending machine contract.

Commissioners said they hope to create a situation in which the vendor fills the machine, collects the money and gives the commission a receipt and check, removing some responsibility previously on Youth Center staff.

For summer camp this year, the commission plans to charge $135 per week or $35 per day, the same rate as summer 2011, according to documents presented last night.

The documents show the rate was $125 and $25 in 2010. The accountant worried about that fee structure because the weekly rate equaled five days of the daily rate.

Commissioners also adopted numerous policies, including requiring quotes from multiple vendors for expenses more than $5,000; meetings at least every month between the center’s director and town finance staff; and discussion by the commission of finances for all fundraisers, programs and events during the approval process.

“At least now we’re looking at what programs are going on (and their) revenues and expenses,” Tamagni said.

Page 2 of 2 - Brian Benson can be reached at 508-634-7582 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com.